President Radev Expresses Hope that Journey of Faith Initiative Will Attract Thousands of Pilgrims from Bulgaria, Abroad

Sofia Gospodinova, Ivan Lazarov, Yoana Vodenicharova

President Rumen Radev (left) and Patriarch Daniil leading a liturgical procession, Sofia, August 1, 2025 (BTA Photo/Blagoy Kirilov)

Sofia,

01.08.2025 14:46

(BTA)

Speaking here on Friday, Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev expressed hope that the initiative A Journey of Faith will attract thousands of pilgrims from Bulgaria and abroad, while promoting the country’s age-old history, culture, traditions, and stunning nature. Together with the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and Metropolitan of Sofia, Daniil, Radev launched a pilgrimage trail called The Miracle Worker of Rila and a broader faith-based tourism initiative.

“I would like to congratulate His Holiness Patriarch Daniil on the launch of the initiative A Journey of Faith. I am confident that beyond this traditional pilgrimage route to the Rila Monastery, we will have new trails that will connect and unite all of Bulgaria,” the President said.

He noted that linking Bulgaria’s sacred and historically significant sites offers a path to moral and spiritual growth.

“Today, it is only together that we can uphold Bulgaria’s traditional virtues such as hard work, integrity, humanity, and justice, standing against all evil. As the Patriarch mentioned in his speech today, it should not prevent Bulgaria’s progress as a democratic state governed by the rule of law,” Radev added.

Earlier that day, Radev and Patriarch Daniil led a liturgical procession to the Rotunda of St George in Sofia.

The first route in the project is the already established pilgrimage trail, The Miracle Worker of Rila. Over several days, hundreds of pilgrims will follow part of the path along which the relics of St John of Rila were translated - from the Rotunda of St George in Sofia to the Rila Monastery, where they remain today.

/RY/